The present invention relates to an ecological carriage for transporting drums or barrels.
According to the present state of the art, the carriages for the transportation of drums or barrels are essentially constituted by a metallic structure on which the drum rests, the drum being disposed with an horizontal axis and by a basin located under the drum, the basin being used to collect the fluids such as mineral oil and similar fluids which are lost during the decanting or or due to rupture of the drum, all these components being mounted on a base provided with wheels.
Actually, with the carriages presently being used the loading of the drum requires the use of a mule driver which removes the drum from the storehouse where it is found in the vertical position and deposits it in the horizontal position on top of the carriage.
A first object of the invention is to provide a carriage for drums which carries out the loading operation automatically without the need of the mule driver or other mechanical devices for raising and transporting the drum.
A further object of the invention is to provide a carriage for automatically loading drums, of simple construction, of easy and sure manageability.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a carriage for drums capable of automatic loading which does not require particular servicing.
These objects are achieved with an ecological carriage for drums in which the support structure of the drums is capable of rotating from a position essentially horizontal to a substantially vertical position and vice versa. In this manner, at the beginning of the operation of loading of the drum the carriage is approached to the drum to be moved in a manner that its mobile structure positioned vertically may be hooked to the drum which is disposed vertically.
Subsequently, the structure rotates on itself by 90 degrees, so that the drum hooked to the structure and supported by it, takes a horizontal position, above the base of the carriage.
A further characteristic of the invention is to provide that a basin for collecting the liquid lost or spilled from the drum slides so that it takes a position completely under the drum when the drum is in a horizontal position and will take a lateral position to allow the drum to take again a vertical position.